Clinton and Gore campaign in 1996. (AP) Related Links • More Post and AP stories about campaign finance from the past month.

By Dan Froomkin
Washingtonpost.com Staff
Updated September 4, 1998

Campaign finance is a confusing topic in many ways. But it is money which, arguably, determines the very basics of our democracy: Who runs, who wins, and how they govern.

This overview summarizes the critical issues underlying the debate and the ongoing criminal investigations. This special report also includes key stories from The Post, a selection of Post editorials and columns, profiles of key players and a list of online resources.

Part 1:
Big Money – The Cost of Winning

The amount of money needed to win a federal election these days – most notably, the presidency – is enormous. The Clinton and Dole campaigns spent about $232 million in the 1996 campaign cycle – supplemented by about $69 million in "issue ads" paid for by the Republican and Democratic national committees. Across the country, Election '96 cost about $2.7 billion, the costliest ever.

Overview Part 1: Big Money Part 2: The Issues Part 3: Past Reforms Part 4: Soft Money Part 5: Allegations Part 6: Legislation

It takes money to pay a campaign staff and buy materials. It takes money for a campaign to be taken seriously by the press. It even takes money to raise more money.

Perhaps more than anything, it takes an awful lot of money to buy television and radio ads – which are virtually mandatory for any national political campaign and for many local and statewide ones as well.

For example, a massive television advertising blitz that started in October 1995 greatly contributed to the Clinton reelection victory by retuning his image and drowning out any competing message. It didn't come cheap. The ads – which were paid for by the Democratic National Committee, not by the Clinton/Gore campaign – cost about $44 million.

Average Cost of Winning a Seat in Congress, 1996 Senate $3,765,000 House $675,000 Source: Federal Election Commission

In congressional campaigns, the amounts are smaller, but money generally plays a huge role. Big coffers scare away challengers; advertising can swing races. As a result, members of Congress spend a lot of time and energy – and money – raising funds for their next election.